RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

It revealed that in most leading European economies, pensioner poverty levels were either below or slightly above the EU average of 19 per cent.

British pensioners were worse off than Romania, where 19 per cent fell below the poverty threshold, Poland (8 per cent) and France (13 per cent).

Pensioners in the Czech Republic were least likely to be living in poverty, with 5 per cent below the threshold of an income of 60 per cent of the national median, according to the figures.

Michelle Mitchell, charity director for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: 'What this report clearly shows is that, even before the recession sets in, many older people weren't keeping up with the pace at which the general wealth of the nation has increased over the past years.

'This means they risk being increasingly excluded from community life.

'In a country where the richest have incomes five times higher than the poorest, older people are disproportionately bearing the burden of this inequality.

'To lift millions of pensioners out of poverty and prevent this situation from getting worse in the future, this government and the next must find a more effective system to ensure benefits reach those who need them and mee the existing commitment to reform the pension system by 2012.'

Recent research by the charity showed one in five people aged 60 and over are skipping meals to save money on food, while two-fifths are struggling to afford essential items.

Share or comment on this article:

UK elderly fourth poorest in EU as third of British over-65s live in poverty